Sega Saturn Console Review
One of the only places to check out Sega’s 32-Bit library
Approaching a full Sega Saturn console review has been difficult, but it’s a review I’ve wanted to do for a long time. This is the third system I ever added to my collection because it’s full of exclusive titles, arcade ports and unique games. This is one of the best (and only) ways to experience the 32-Bit Sega library from the 90’s.
It’s obvious the Sega Saturn had a lot more impact in Japan, (like the Dreamcast) and I glossed over a lot of exclusives in the video. In Japan, the system has a stellar selection of shmups and RPG’s available. I haven’t had the chance to experience the Saturn import scene yet, but there’s always the possibility for a follow-up.
I covered some cheaper, more accessible games. Games I remember seeing in stores and on television; titles Sega put a lot of faith in (Virtua Cop, Virtua Fighter and NiGHTS into Dreams). These are titles that, in my opinion, have set up the expectations for the Saturn and in a lot of instances, led the way in terms of bringing fully 3D games to the market.
I’d love to do some follow up episodes on games like Shinobi X (Legions), Die Hard Arcade, Burning Rangers, Enemy Zero, D, Marvel vs Street Fighter and Panzer Dragoon 2.
The Sega Saturn feels like the ultimate system to sum up the extreme 90’s that inspire the Leftover Culture Review. The games are a little raw but the promise of bringing arcade graphics home was closer than ever. With that black, boxy design and plenty of surreal imagery used throughout their advertisements (seriously, I love the 90’s Sega Marketing). It feels like a pure, distilled 90’s grunge aesthetic before everything became stark and clean and bold (looking at you Apple and that G3).
I can appreciate that games and experiences that might have been lost and forgotten in the extensive Playstation library can stand out and make an impact on the Saturn. No matter how you choose to enjoy and collect for the Sega Saturn; whether it’s for the rich selection of imports, the arcade ports right out of Sega or if you’re after some of the more interesting exclusives like Die hard Arcade and Enemy Zero, the Saturn feels like there’s got to be something for everybody here… And I really wish that I could have created a larger scale full Sega Saturn Console Review here, complete with vapourware and empty promises out of Sega; there’s a lot of history with the Saturn system as Sega struggled with Sonic, Shenmue and plenty of internal conflicts between teams and the complicated hardware. If you’re interested in Sonic Xtreme, and any more information regarding the kinds of challenges going on at Sega, I can totally recommend getting lost over at SonicRetro.
I have a lot of nostalgia around the system, so this Sega Saturn console review is fairly positive. As a child relying on my parents money for video games, the Sega Saturn was always out of reach. I have one memory in particular seeing a battered, bust-up Sega Saturn box sitting on an empty rack on the bottom shelf with so many reduced stickers plastered on top. The difference with picking up the Sega Saturn now is that access to the internet makes it easier to find those gems in the Saturn library. This isn’t the first time I touched on the Sega Saturn on the Leftover Culture Review and you can check out my other reviews here;
Panzer Dragoon Saga (Demo)
Guardian Heroes
Alien Trilogy
Earthworm Jim 2
On the production side of this episode in particular, this one was filmed around the time I filmed my Earthworm Jim Menace 2 the Galaxy review (similar lighting setup and sub-par audio (mic fail)) and has been sitting on my PC for a long time. Covering the Saturn can be a monumental task, my original script was over 15 minutes long and only briefly touched on imports. I’ve done plenty of research into vapourware on the Sega Saturn (Sonic Extreme gets a mention in my
Sonic Lost World review) and with games like Shenmue, it was interesting to learn they started life on the Saturn before being moved to the Dreamcast (I mention this in my Shenmue 2 review).
Even technically, this was a hard review to finally to put together with just the games I had available to me.
In the past, I’ve admitted to using emulation where possible in my reviews to capture the cleanest game play footage (but I’d still recommend using the original hardware to actually experience and enjoy playing the game). The Sega Saturn emulation scene is a bit sketchy and plenty of games just won’t work. This review is composed of footage captured between my actual Saturn and an emulator running my Saturn discs. I always try and keep my recording quality consistent but with so many different games on display, I had to make some compromises.
The 1996 Promo catalogue images have been sourced from a PDF Sega Saturn UK made available. You can check in here for the full download.